Synopses & Reviews
Review
Like the masterpiece she writes about, Laura Morelli has created a work of art that is impossible to forget. With beautifully rendered settings, expertly drawn characters and a storyline that immersed me from the very first page, THE STOLEN LADY is a wonderful homage to both art and the women in history who made art possible, but whose stories have been forgotten. A truly sublime novel.
—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of THE PARIS SECRET
THE STOLEN LADY is a beautifully written, must-read story of the incredible journey of the Mona Lisa set amid two turbulent times in history. Laura Morelli offers a well-researched and richly told tale that captivated my attention from the first page.
—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON
THE STOLEN LADY, Laura Morelli’s captivating dual timeline novel, tells the story of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterwork The Mona Lisa, intricately weaving together the stories of two fiercely dedicated women 400 years apart who risk their lives to save one of the most famous paintings in the history of the world. Morelli writes with a natural grace and love for the history of art that pulls readers into the spell of the painting’s creation, the enigmatic woman who became Leonardo’s most famous subject, and the dangers that nearly destroyed her portrait. Moving seamlessly between Renaissance Italy and World War II France, this deeply researched, suspenseful, and breathtakingly romantic novel pulled me in from the first sentence and did not let me go until the last. Readers clear your calendars—once you start reading you won’t be able to do anything else until you’re done! (I know because that’s what happened to me…)
–Melodie Winawer, author of SCRIBE OF SIENA
In THE STOLEN LADY, Laura Morelli weaves together the stories of two remarkable women, separated by more than 400 years, who each find a touchstone for their lives in a singular masterpiece: da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The result is a novel that has as many layers as a beautiful renaissance painting . . . and is as enthralling. From 16th century Florence in the grasp of perilous dynastic and artistic rivalries to WWII France where a handful of intrepid employees scramble to keep the Louvre’s masterpieces from Nazi hands, THE STOLEN LADY takes readers on a vicarious journey centered on art, courage, and how each can inspire the other. It’s a lesson as timeless as Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile.
—Sophie Perinot, author of MEDICIS DAUGHTER
Synopsis
From the acclaimed author of The Night Portrait comes a stunning historical novel about two women, separated by five hundred years, who each hide Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa--with unintended consequences.
France, 1939
At the dawn of World War II, Anne Guichard, a young archivist employed at the Louvre, arrives home to find her brother missing. While she works to discover his whereabouts, refugees begin flooding into Paris and German artillery fire rattles the city. Once they reach the city, the Nazis will stop at nothing to get their hands on the Louvre's art collection. Anne is quickly sent to the Castle of Chambord, where the Louvre's most precious artworks--including the Mona Lisa--are being transferred to ensure their safety. With the Germans hard on their heels, Anne frantically moves the Mona Lisa and other treasures again and again in an elaborate game of hide and seek. As the threat to the masterpieces and her life grows closer, Anne also begins to learn the truth about her brother and the role he plays in this dangerous game.
Florence, 1479
House servant Bellina Sardi's future seems fixed when she accompanies her newly married mistress, Lisa Gherardini, to her home across the Arno. Lisa's husband, a prosperous silk merchant, is aligned with the powerful Medici, his home filled with luxuries and treasures. But soon, Bellina finds herself bewitched by a charismatic monk who has urged Florentines to rise up against the Medici and to empty their homes of the riches and jewels her new employer prizes. When Master Leonardo da Vinci is commissioned to paint a portrait of Lisa, Bellina finds herself tasked with hiding an impossible secret.
When art and war collide, Leonardo da Vinci, his beautiful subject Lisa, and the portrait find themselves in the crosshairs of history.